Small Business Saturday Spotlight- Lactalite
/I will never forget being wheeled back to my hospital room at two in the morning after giving birth to our girls. We had just left the NICU where I had the most amazing experience meeting emmy and elle for the first time. I was physically exhausted, mentally drained from the events of the day and being introduced to the world of the NICU, in a lot of pain from my emergency c-section, and I know I looked a hot mess from being in labor for forty+ hours with twenty-six of those hours being spent on magnesium. Even with all of the prior factors, I was still experiencing the euphoric "new mom high." I was on cloud nine because emmy and elle were alive and well. I was alive and well. I was officially a mommy. My husband's new title was daddy. Nothing could beat the feeling of relief that swept over me to hear our precious, tiny miracles sweet cry.
Nothing except the lactation consultant wheeling in the largest breast pump I have ever seen in my life at three am.
She was super chipper for the middle of the night and I immediately decided she was my enemy. She went straight into her spiel of how to put together the breast pump and I had to stop her because I could barely say my own name. I would have never been able to remember how to put together what looked like a medieval torture device. She looked at me and said, "you need to start to pump as soon as possible. It's what is best." I quickly said, "I need at least one hour of sleep so that is a firm no." I have never been more stern in my life. My labor nurse and husband were quick to jump in to support me in my need to sleep. The consultant gave me a little gift and came back in two hours instead of one. This time I greeted her with an apology and warm smile since some of the post-delivery fog had lifted. I was able to listen to the directions of how to use my new "breast friend." (On a more serious note, Lactation Consultants are amazing and have a wealth of knowledge about breastfeeding and pumping. I highly recommend for all new moms who decide to breastfeed to meet with a LC as many times as they need.)
Little did I know this first encounter was the start to my seven month journey with the Medela hospital grade breast pump. My breast pump and I had a rocky start because I did not enjoy any part of pumping. I cried because it hurt. I cried because there were so many parts to clean. I cried because I was hormonal and women just cry a lot after they give birth. They also sweat. No one told me how much I would sweat.
I cried most at night because it is already hard to get up every 2-3 hours to pump but it is even harder when you do not have a newborn (or two) to cuddle with at home those first few weeks. I produced the most milk at night which is true for a lot of other women too. I always had to fumble with my phone and use the flashlight because far too often I would overflow the milk bottles. I never wanted to waste a single drop of the liquid gold that my micropreemies so desperately needed. I now know it must have been a breastfeeding mama giving herself a pep talk when she came up with the phrase, "don't cry over spilt milk."
I also needed help at night because I wanted to make sure my pump was positioned correctly for optimal milk production and flow. I had a bad case of mastitis about a month after delivery so I made it my mission to never feel that miserable pain again. I would become frustrated when I would try to hold my phone and make sure my breast pump was positioned correctly while trying to massage to enhance the flow of my milk. I would then need to turn on an overhead light which would wake up my husband and in turn would make me even more awake and harder to fall back asleep after a pump session. Being a new mom is hard enough without having to worry about breast pump problems.
Pumping is a commitment but even looking back now, I am proud of myself for not giving up during those first several weeks before emmy and elle were able to graduate from the NICU. There are a few tricks to make pumping easier but one I recently learned about and desperately wished I knew when I was pumping is the Lactalite.
Lactalite is a small, attachable light source that connects to the tunnel portion of the breast shield while pumping. Lactalite helps ensure proper placement of the nipple within the flange of the breast shield. It is a hands free accessory that allows you to visualize your milk expression so that you can use manual expression or manage your speed and suction on your breast pump to maximize milk output. It also prevents you from having to turn on the overhead lights when pumping and allows for a better experience, especially for those middle of the night pumping sessions when you don’t want to wake a sleeping partner or baby.
Are you like me and after reading the description say to yourself, "why did I not think of that?!" This invention is pure genius. I want to tell everyone about this product because I know it can help pumping moms have one less thing to stress about while trying to produce milk to feed their newborn, infant, or toddler. Lactalite will also be in permanent rotation for me to give as a baby shower gift so no more of my mom friends have to experience the middle-of-the-night cell phone flashlight frustration game.
I had the honor of speaking with Kelly, the mom boss behind Lactalite, after she read my piece about pregnancy loss and reached out to me and shared her own story. I feel like there is always an instant connection between two women who have experienced similar loss. She is supportive of my blog and my mission for this space to be a community for parents and future parents. I am super proud to showcase her, her family, and her company for my second installment of Small Business Saturday Spotlight. Please check out their, "five fast facts" to learn more about Kelly and Lactalite.
We are also doing our first GIVEAWAY on our Instagram page, @emmyandelle. Two lucky followers will win a pair of Lactalites! I am so excited about the giveaway and for everyone to learn more about Lactalite. Thank you for following along!
Small Business Saturday Spotlight
Five Fast Facts with Kelly O'Malley of Lactalite
1. Please tell us a little about your amazing company.
Lactalite was created out of necessity by my husband for me! Lactalite is a breast pump accessory light that allows moms to pump hands-free. It attaches to the breast pump shield and has a white and blue light that illuminates the tunnel portion to help moms better visualize their milk flow.
2. What inspired you to create Lactalite?
Struggling with visualizing my milk flow, I was constantly using my cell phone light while pumping. My husband observed this and created Lactalite for this very reason. We wanted to be able to create a product that all pumping moms could benefit from.
3. What advice can you give to other moms about motherhood and/or being a mom boss babe?
Patience. With your spouse, your children, your business. You can always strive for perfection, but realizing that NOT achieving it is OK!
4. What do you see in the future for Lactalite?
Spreading the word so that more pumping moms know about our amazing product.
Beginning a formal study to query pumping moms so that we may prove the many benefits that Lactalite gives pumping moms.
Working with DMEs and breast pump companies to widen our reach.
5. Tell us about one of your favorite moments or memory of being a mother.
Our son has recently begun preschool and I love when he comes home and begins singing the songs that he learns each day. I am also excited about his newfound love for painting and doing “projects”. It is so rewarding as a mother to see our children use their gifts to create such amazing things!
